Luke 24

24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came unto the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared1.ANGELS ANNOUNCE THE RESURRECTION TO CERTAIN WOMEN. PETER AND JOHN ENTER THE EMPTY TOMB. (Joseph's Garden. Sunday, very early.) Matthew 28:1-8 ; Mark 16:1-8 ; Luke 24:1-8Luke 24:12 ; John 20:1-10

24:12But Peter arose, and ran unto the tomb1; and stooping and looking in, he seeth the linen cloths by themselves; and he departed to his home, wondering at that which was come to pass.

But Peter arose, and ran unto the tomb. John shows that he and Peter started for the tomb as soon as they received the message of MaryMagdalene ( John 20:2 ), but Luke is less exact, blending her messagewith that of the other women, as will be seen in the latter part ofSection 135.

24:13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was threescore furlongs from Jerusalem2.

To a village called Emmaus. Several sites have been suggested, but the village of Emmaus has not yet been identified beyond dispute. Itslocation is probably marked by the ruins called el Kubeibeh, which liesnorthwest of Jerusalem.

Which was threescore furlongs from Jerusalem. El Kubeibeh is distant 7.8 miles or 62.5 furlongs, from Jerusalem.

But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. Jesus himself designedly restrained their vision, that, unlike John( John 20:8John 20:9 ), that might see the resurrection of Jesus in theScriptures before they saw it in reality. Compare note at ( John 20:14 ).

24:17 And he said unto them, What communications are these that ye have one with another, as ye walk1? And they stood still, looking sad.

What communications are these that ye have one with another, as ye walk? Our Lord's abrupt question brought them to a standstill. We maywell imagine that they considered his interruption very unwelcome. Buthis kindly mien won their confidence and they tell him all.

24:18And one of them, named Cleopas1, answering said unto him, Dost thou alone sojourn in Jerusalem and not know the things which are come to pass there in these days2?

And one of them, named Cleopas. Of Cleopas nothing further is known. It has been suggested that the other disciple was Luke himself. This ispossible, for the other Evangelists mention themselves thusimpersonally. The preface to Luke's Gospel in no way forbids us tothink that he had a personal knowledge of parts of Christ's ministry.See Luke 1:1-4 .

Dost thou alone sojourn in Jerusalem and not know the things which are come to pass there in these days? Cleopas marveled that therecould be a single man in Jerusalem who had not heard concerning thecrucifixion, etc.

24:21But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel1. Yea and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came to pass.

But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel. To Cleopas, redeeming Israel meant freeing the nation from the Roman yoke.

24:22Moreover certain women of our company amazed us, having been early at the tomb1;

Moreover certain women of our company amazed us, having been early at the tomb. Rationalists might see their own reflection in these twodisciples, who suppressed the statement of the women that they had seenthe Lord as too idle to be repeated, and told the least marvelous partof their story--that about the angels--as too visionary to be credited.Thus the renowned Renan held that the resurrection was a story orfabrication which grew out of the hallucination of Mary Magdalene. Butthese two men on the way to Emmaus had less use for femininehallucinations than even M. Renan. But in the end they believed in theresurrection because they themselves had substantial evidence of it.

24:24And certain of them that were with us went to the tomb, and found it even so as the women had said1: but him they saw not2.

And certain of them that were with us went to the tomb, and found it even so as the women had said. Peter and John ( Luke 24:12 ; John 20:3 ).

But him they saw not. The last clause unconsciously suggests the omitted fact that the women had professed to see Christ.

24:27And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets1, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself2.

And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets. The counsel of the Father revealed in the Scriptures shows that Jesus should enterinto his glory through suffering. The books of Moses foretell Christlargely in types, such, as the passover, the rock in the wilderness,Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, the day of atonement, etc. The prophetsshow him forth in clear-cut predictions and descriptions.

He interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Jesus evidently applied both these divisions of Scripture tohimself, making it plain to these two who were both thoughtless in mindand slow in heart. Those lacking in a knowledge of the Christology ofthe Old Testament are slow to believe in it. Those who know thatChristology, and yet doubt the Old Testament, do so because they lackfaith in the Christ therein portrayed.

24:29And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us1; for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in to abide with them.

And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us. They were loath to part with this delightful stranger who by his wonderful use of theScriptures revived their failing faith and hope in Jesus.

24:31 And their eyes were opened1, and they knew him2; and he vanished out of their sight.

And they knew him. While he was breaking the bread to supply their bodies he opened their eyes and revealed to them that it was he alsowho had just been feeding their hungry hearts with the truth andconsolation of the divine word. See Luke 24:35.

24:32 And they said one to another, Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures1?

Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures? Thus they admit to eachother that the joy of beholding the risen Lord was but the consummationof a joy already begun through a right understanding of the truthcontained in Scripture. The sight of the Lord was sweeter because itwas preceded by faith that he ought thus to rise.

24:33And they rose up that very hour, and returned to Jerusalem1, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them2,

And they rose up that very hour, and returned to Jerusalem. See Mark 16:13.

And found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them. The women and some of the "hundred and twenty" ( Acts 1:15 ).

The Lord is risen indeed. His resurrection is not an hallucination of the women.

And hath appeared to Simon. Paul and Luke both mention this appearance, but we have none of the details of it ( 1 Corinthians 15:5 ).

24:35 And they rehearsed the things [that happened] in the way, and how he was known of them in the breaking of the bread.

And they rehearsed . . . how he was known of them in the breaking of the bread. This does not mean that they knew Jesus because of anypeculiar way in which he broke the bread; it means that he was revealedat the time when he broke it ( Luke 24:30Luke 24:31 ).

24:36And as they spake these things1, he himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you.

And as they spake these things. While the two from Emmaus were telling their story.

24:37But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they beheld a spirit1.

But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they beheld a spirit. Jesus' entrance through a bolted door ( John 20:19 )lent weight to their idea that he had no corporeal body. They knewnothing of the possibilities of a resurrected body.

24:40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet1.

And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. These members not only showed that he was not a disembodied spirit, butthey served to identify his body with that which they had seencrucified, and hence the person who now spoke was the Jesus whom theyhad known and lost. See also John 20:20 .

And he took it, and ate before them. Thus at last satisfying them that he was not a ghost.

24:44 And he said unto them, These are my words which I spake unto you1, while I was yet with you2, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me.

These are my words which I spake unto you, etc. That is, these recent events are simply what I told you should come to pass accordingto the Scriptures, but you did not understand.

While I was yet with you. In the mind of Jesus, he was already parted from them, and his presence was the exception and not the rule.

24:45Then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures1;

Then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures. Some think that this illumination was of a miraculousnature, and confound it with what the Lord is said to have done atjust as he had done it already to the two on the way to Emmaus( Luke 24:27 ).

24:46 and he said unto them, Thus it is written1, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day2;

Thus it is written, etc. The verses from Luke are taken from a later conversation, which will be handled in our next section. They areinserted here because they are an indicative statement of thecommission which Matthew and Mark give in the imperative, and a sectionprofessing to embrace the commission would be imperfect without them.

NINTH AND TENTH APPEARANCES OF JESUS (cont'd)

That the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day. Both the written prophecy and the unwritten nature ofthings required that Christ should do as he had done. The saying formsan important credential for the Book of Jonah; where else have we theperiod of three days fixed as the time between our Lord's burial andresurrection? ( Matthew 12:38-40 ).

24:47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations1, beginning from Jerusalem.

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations. Luke sums up the whole commission byrecording the words of Christ, wherein he states that he suffered thatit might be preached to all nations that if men would repent, God couldnow forgive ( Romans 3:26 ).

Beginning at Jerusalem. From Luke's record we also learn that the preaching of these glad tidings was to begin at Jerusalem.

24:50 And he led them out until [they were] over against Bethany: and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.